Forever My Friend, Forever My Love
by AriandEzra
Summary: Living in New York City, Aria and Ezra are as close as best friends can get. But with Ezra wanting to be more and their meddling friends, how will the two end up? AU Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm terrible, but I had an idea today and it's been stuck in my mind all day. This is an AU Aria and Ezra are friends, but he's in love with type story. But, they're going to be a little bit like Ross and Rachel and the group is going to be like "Friends", so this excites me!**

**Please tell me if you like this! I know it's tiring of me to keep starting new ones, but I really like where I can see this story head. **

**I OWN NOTHING.**

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><p>One swipe of black nail polish was all Aria needed to complete her daily routine. She had a somewhat strange addiction to painting her nails. Every day served a different color based solely on her mood. She wasn't necessarily in a horrible mood, but that Friday, she felt very bland and un-vibrant. Plus, the white and black polka dotted blouse she was donning that spring morning helped.<p>

"You know, you've really got to stop doing that," chimed a voice from her doorway. Aria spun around from the stool at her makeup vanity and laughed.

"Spencer, calm down. It's not like I paint them three times a day." Her best friend was a doctor, always worrying about everyone's health. Ironically enough, she wasn't all that concerned for her own and often found herself laid up in bed with a cold from working too hard.

"But you paint them enough to get poisoning from the acetone."

"You need to stop worrying," chuckled Aria in a wry tone. She closed the cap of the small nail polish pot and moved onto the over coat. Spencer started to protest until Aria stopped her mid-sentence. "You've got to let me at least finish it off."

With her hands thrown up from her sides, Spencer walked away in defeat. Aria rolled her eyes and coated all ten fingers in the shiny top coat before blowing on the instradry liquid. Soon enough, she was ready to go.

Fridays were heavy workdays the bookstore. After graduating at NYU with a degree in Journalism, Aria took up the position of manager of an adorable little bookstore down in SoHo while she looked for a more permanent position. The walk from her large Midtown apartment that she shared with Spencer and their other friend, Hanna was long, but the regulars who showed up to browse books were enough to keep her working there for the time being.

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before giving her hair a final toss. With the smack of her lips, Aria felt ready to go.

When she emerged from her bedroom, Spencer was brewing coffee and her boyfriend, Wren, who lived across the hall with another one of their friends, Caleb Rivers, was seated at the breakfast bar with an amused expression. Spencer seemed to be rambling to herself angrily. Aria could over hear the words "formaldehyde" and "acetone".

"You know, you should stop stressing her out like this. In a way, she's right." Wren himself was a doctor of sorts. More like a surgeon, but he still knew the ins and outs.

"But," Aria pouted, "It'll totally ruin my daily routine. I'll be completely thrown off." Before either one of the medical professionals, Aria left the apartment with a giggle. Spencer and Wren knew she was completely joking. That and the fact that if she had stayed a minute longer, she'd be late to work.

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><p>Springtime in New York was one of Aria's favorite times, besides Christmastime. There was a feeling she got deep down inside when her hazel eyes saw the tiny cherry blossoms blooming on trees in Central Park. Or the smell in the air of fresh air that was new and not bogged down by the industrial fumes that gathered too quickly. New York had its own distinct scent. It wasn't something Aria minded, but to smell that breeze of freshness reminded her of home.<p>

The walk to the bookstore was like a daily workout for her. Her foot used to blister over, especially in the hot months, but they'd grown accustomed to the journey. It only took twenty minutes and in no time, the scent of musky books surrounded Aria.

Miller's Books had been standing in a secluded area for years, but hadn't been buzzing with business until Aria took control. She revamped the entire place from the lighting to the wood the dark mahogany coloring on the walls. The shop was Aria's "baby". There were times when she considered never finding a job as a journalist and just staying her. The income didn't matter to her; only the sentimental value.

Mornings were never that fast paced, except for those who can in to stroll around and steal a cup of the coffee she brewed for customers before noon. But sometimes people stopped by during the lunch rush and on their way home from work. Things ultimately picked up late afternoon, especially on a Friday.

Aria spent her morning powering through _The Hunger Games_ until lunch came around. With a tray of sushi in her system, she continued reading until the tinkling bell that rang when the front door was open sounded.

At first, she put on her official face, ready to welcome the customer, but her entire demeanor softened when she saw who it was.

"Well, look who's here," Aria jeered playfully in the direction of the tall, dark haired man. His blue eyes crinkled up at the sound of her voice.

"You sound so unhappy to see your best friend," laughed Ezra Fitz. He had been Wren's college roommate. When he and Aria met, something with them just clicked and they had been close every since.

With their friends, they had a sort of group complex. Most of them dated within the group; Wren and Spencer, Hanna and Caleb. They did yearly events as a group, such as the annual Thanksgiving feast and New Year's Eve party.

Ezra lived a few blocks away from Aria's apartment building and was an English teacher at one of the prep schools in the Upper East Side. Most afternoons during his lunch break, he came in to see Aria, but often excused it as needing a new book. Lately, his feelings for her had reached beyond platonic, but it wasn't something Ezra could ever tell Aria. They'd laid a strict _friends only_ policy when they first embarked on their friendship.

For Aria, Ezra was the most constant thing in her life. She didn't need them to break up and her lose him completely. Despite her growing attraction for him, Aria squashed it by dating other men; something that had lately been hurting Ezra deep down. Never in his life had he felt what he felt for Aria towards any girl. It was difficult to keep his emotions in check around her.

"Whatever do you mean," she asked, coming around from her post behind the front counter to hug him. Ezra completely towered over Aria. His arms wrapped around her slight figure. He tried not to hold her too tightly.

"Stop faking your disappointment that it was me and not Ryan Reynolds, Montgomery," Ezra laughed, pulling away. He didn't want to torture himself further by keeping Aria in his arms. "You know you love it when I stop in during my break."

"You're relentless, Fitz!"

"You love me."

"You're right." Aria beamed up at him, making Ezra's heart pound against his ribcage. "Are you coming around tonight? Spencer's demanding a game night. Wren will be there, so the estrogen won't overtake you."

Even with papers to grade, there was no way he could decline. "Yeah, I'll drop by. I don't know how long I can stay for."

"Papers to grade?"

"Yeah," he sighed, picking up the book she'd been reading that was set on the counter. _The Hunger Games…_girls in Ezra's class had been talking about the book the other day. Raving almost. It seemed to be some worldwide phenomenon, like that past series about the girl who fell in love with the vampire. Ezra only hoped that these books would be far better written. "Is this good," he asked, flipping through a couple pages.

"From what I read so far. I haven't gotten quite into it yet," replied Aria.

Ezra placed the book down, tweaking the tip of Aria's nose as he realized the time. Even though he stopped by during his break, the walk to and from school took up most of the time. "I've got to head back. I'll see you tonight, Ar."

Snatching the cup of coffee Aria always left for him, Ezra emerged from the store and back onto the New York City streets with his heart banging erratically. Would there ever be a day when she didn't affect him like this? Probably not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews! I'm thinking of updating "Safe Place" later on tomorrow. I'm just brainstorming for ideas. I'm not sure when "A Little Romance" will be up; I'm still working out the dinner with Ian's mom. And then there's "I Know You", which I'm brainstorming for as well.**

**I love the path that I can see the story taking. I got a review about Wrencer being a couple in the story and I just want to make it clear that there won't be too much Wrencer fluff. This is an Ezria story. They're just in the background or apart of Aria and Ezra's group of friends!**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

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><p>Game nights were held one, maybe twice a month. They used to be planned for once a week, but that was until Spencer became far too competitive for anyone to handle dealing with too often. When she won, or her team one, Spencer was known for completely shoving it in everyone's faces. According to Wren, she spent hours gloating afterwards.<p>

"Do you have the guacamole," Aria called from her bedroom. The door was set wide open so she could somewhat oversee the activity going on in the kitchen.

"Just picked it up," replied another voice that had seemingly come through the front door. Hanna's high heels clicked down the hardwood floor of the hallway and her blonde head of hair poked itself into Aria's bedroom. "Plain, just the avocado, no tomato or anything, right?" Her hand fished through the grocery bag until it produced a small container.

"Perfect," Aria smiled.

Soon enough, Spencer came charging down the hallway, almost slipping in her socks with a large wooden spoon in hand. "These cupcakes aren't working," she pouted. "The batter keeps bubbling. I don't know what's wrong."

"Maybe you shouldn't cook," suggested Hanna with a shrug and a slight smirk. Spencer glared at her from the side, causing both her and Aria to giggle.

"Just, scrap the cupcakes," Aria laughed, placing down her pen that she'd been writing with. "I mean, it's game night. The guys are fine with pizza and chips." Most of the time, Aria felt herself as being the anchor of their friendship, always reeling Hanna and Spencer to the ground when they floated above.

"But, I wanted to make this game night special."

"What's so special about tonight than any other night," asked Aria, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah," Hanna chimed in. "Do we eat reclining tonight to celebrate our freedom from Egypt or something?"

Swatting her with the spoon, Spencer shrugged. "I don't know…I just wanted to spice things up a bit; make it a bit out of the usual."

"Spence," Aria said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Nothing can spice it up more than your competitive streak. Trust me. We're absolutely fine."

Sighing, Spencer headed back into the kitchen, once more grumbling. It seemed to be something she did constantly, but was still lovable all the same. A small squeal erupted from the kitchen followed the closing of a door. No doubt it was Wren.

Aria reclusively picked up her pen once more and began to write in her journal. It wasn't about anything in particular. Just scribbles about love and such. She still hoped to find the right person out there. But romance in New York was difficult. There were over a thousand people living there; you never knew if you passed by your soulmate on the street or if they've been in your life forever.

"You okay, Sweetie?"

Aria had completely forgotten Hanna standing in the doorway after Spencer left.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." Aria put on a small smile and closed her journal. "How did you fall in love with Caleb?"

"Such prying questions," Hanna laughed. "I don't know. I just…did. We hit it off and that was the end of that. Why is something troubling you in your love life?"

"You mean my nonexistent one? No. I was just curious." She shrugged and flounced a piece of hair over her shoulder.

The apartment door slammed shut again. This time, two pairs of footsteps were audible. Immediately, the sound of Ezra's chuckle filled the apartment, causing Aria to smile. "I think Caleb and Ezra are here."

Hanna squealed and charged down the hallway. Her heels one again made loud sounds; Aria often wondered how she managed to run so fast in them without falling flat on her face; especially the extremely high, extremely thin heeled ones. As she emerged from her room, each couple stood off respectively. Hanna and Caleb had located to the couch where he turned on a football game. Wren continued to help Spencer in the kitchen.

And then there was Ezra, taking off his blazer and tie to then push of the cuffs of his sleeves and undo a few buttons at the top of his shirt. Aria bit her lip watching him. Of course, the attraction for him was there, but she knew better. After all, dating a friend wasn't something she stood for. Just as easily as they could fall in love, things could turn to shreds and Ezra would be gone from her life.

Ezra let his gaze cross the room to land on Aria. His heart thudded in his chest like it had earlier in the afternoon and like it always did whenever he saw her. Ezra's only wish was for her to get over the platonic complex she had and see what they could have together. It was easy for him to fall in love with Aria; it could be relatively simple for her to fall for him as well. Aria only had to give Ezra the chance.

Turning away from her, he picked up a book from their shelf and turned it over in his hands until Aria approached. Her nimble, black nailed fingers plucked it from him and set it down on an end table.

"What," she asked, with a bemused expression. "Just because you saw me earlier today means you can ignore my existence?"

"Of course not, Aria," Ezra spoke honestly. He wasn't in the mood for her jokes. It had been a long day and the more they joked, the more it reminded him of they were only friends and nothing more.

"What's wrong?" From knowing each other long enough, it was easy for them to pick up on emotions. "Your face is all tense and whatnot."

"Nothing, Ar," he sighed. "It's just been a long week."

"I'm sorry, Ez," Aria replied, reaching a hand up to his face. The moment grew magnetic and almost frozen, except they were the two only people alive. Ezra held his breath as Aria's fingertips brushed his chin. Her heart beat wildly against her ribcage until Spencer called out that it was time for Pictionary.

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><p>An hour had gone by into the game. They decided to split off into couples, leaving Aria with Ezra as always in these types of situations. So far, they were winning and Spencer was pouting.<p>

Wren's quick hand began to draw out what was supposed to be something for "Beyonce", but Spencer wasn't having any luck in guessing.

"Come on," she yelled. "Make it clearer. We're losing Wren! Come on!"

"I'm trying," he yelled back, frustrated with his girlfriend. Aria snickered and leaned into Ezra's side while Hanna rolled her eyes. "Give it up, Spence," Hanna called. "It's impossible to beat Team Ezria at Pictionary."

"Ezria," Ezra asked, tilting his head to the side at the blonde.

"Aria and Ezra combined into one. Kind of like Brangelina," Hanna stated bluntly.

"Ah, I got you."

Aria just laughed and continued to watch Spencer struggle at guessing the word being drawn on the large whiteboard that they took out for the occasion. Soon enough though, the much taller brunette got fed up with the drawing game and proposed a movie.

"Is Pictionary too difficult for you Hastings," Caleb pressed as Spencer hastily began to put away the game pieces.

"Shut up, Rivers," Spencer hissed.

Meanwhile, Aria's eyelids were beginning to drop. The tip of her head was nestled into the crook of Ezra's neck. For a moment, a small smile formed on his lips. Having her so close, even on the tip of consciousness was enough for Ezra. Aria nuzzled her head further, trying to get comfortable.

Ezra wrapped a friendly, or what Aria tried to think of as friendly, arm around her, pulling her closer. "You know," she spoke, with a slight yawn. "You're a good cuddle-er."

"Maybe you should try me out more often," Ezra retorted, knowing full well that he was shamelessly flirting with her. Hanna smirked, a glint in her eye and Aria curled more into Ezra's side.

"I'm just giving you a test run. We'll see if I like you in that position after tonight." Aria winked, letting her eyes flutter to a close. It had been a long enough day and it wasn't even more than five minutes until Aria was completely sound asleep, curled into Ezra.

Ezra's expression hadn't changed from its smile, except to widen. He brushed a few strands of Aria's hair away from her face, loving how natural it all felt. This was how he imagined them being as a couple.

The only people left in the room were Wren, Caleb, and Hanna. Spencer had gone to get a movie and the two other men were busy checking scores for a game on their phones. Hanna, being the ever observant one, watched Aria and Ezra closely, especially the expression on his face.

"Man, Fitz. You've got it bad."


	3. Chapter 3

**I love this story. I also love all those who have been reviewing. My show's done, so expect updates from all stories!**

**I just need to say that I've been reading "The Hunger Games" and I'm obsessed with Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta. I think Ian and Lucy would play them fantastically. To be honest, I care more about them then I do Katniss with anyone. Anyways…onto the story!**

**I know this chapter is short…I'm thinking of ideas! Help would be lovely if you want!**

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><p>Ezra had always called himself a hopeless romantic. It was the reason his notebooks were filled to the brim with various original love sonnets and mushy short stories. Despite his favorite book being <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<em>, by the time he was fourteen he had read all of Austen's classics and _Jane Eyre_. Ezra's friends made fun of him and tried to get him to read action novels or not read at all, but he never listened. Ezra liked what he liked and there wasn't much that pre-pubescent boys could do to change that.

But was he a believer in love? During his college years he didn't believe. Vied after, he was albeit none of the girls were special enough to ignite that spark Ezra had always read about. At one point, he had all but given up until the night his roommate, Wren Kim, dragged him out for a double date with his current girlfriend, Spencer, and her friend Aria Montgomery

For the first time, the non-believer fell head over feels. Aria had been entrancing. She and Spencer were freshmen at NYU while Ezra and Wren were seniors at Columbia. Her smile had been warm and her smile inviting. Unfortunately, the double date had been their only. Ezra and Aria became best friends instead.

Currently, he was sitting at his desk, grading student papers during the prep school's after hours. Ezra hated to bring work home with him; he'd much rather keep it all separated, and there were too many things to make up after he sacrificed the previous night for Spencer's game night. The same night where Aria fell asleep on his and Hanna picked up on his feelings.

"Hey," perked up a voice from the middle of his doorway. Aria stood with a tray of coffee from Dean and Deluca's. Coffee had always been Ezra's signature drink as well as Aria's. Sunday coffee runs had been an ongoing tradition for them both over the years.

"I brought you your daily caffeine fix. Although I'm not quite sure why you'd be grading on a Saturday." Ezra chuckled at the confused expression on Aria's face.

"After hours; you know how I hate to bring my work home with me."

"Oh, right," Aria blushed slightly. The giddiness that seemed to be flushing over her scared her deeply. Lowering her voice, she put her hand on her hips and mustered up the manliest tone she could utter, although it wasn't much. "I like to keep work and my personal life separate. It's almost like church and state."

"You've got it, Ar," Ezra laughed, resuming back to the papers he had yet to grade. The piles seemed to go on forever, completely overwhelming him. His hand immediately shot out for his coffee. Ezra look a hearty sip and glanced at Aria.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"Once or twice. I wouldn't mind hearing it again."

"I'm not going to inflate your ego."

"You're no fun," she pouted, picking up her purse and the own coffee she carried with her. Although wanting to spend time with Ezra, Aria was scared the more moments spent with him would only buy her emotions more minute s to sort themselves out, despite the fact Aria knew where they were headed to conclude.

Maybe tonight she'd go to a club and find someone new to dwell upon; someone who hadn't been her dear friend for years, someone who wouldn't be jeopardized for their role in her life when a break up rolled around. There were plenty of places to choose from in the city. Aria would just have to consult Hanna.

Breaking the silence with a cough, Aria patted Ezra's hand and kissed the mop of black curls in what she hoped would be a friendly manner. "I might go out tonight, but we'll make plans for the weekend. And we always have Sunday."

"Right, Sunday," Ezra smiled. "Our coffee and chocolate chip scone tradition."

"You've got it. We just have to make sure they have the chocolate chip this time. The other…was it raspberry? Regardless, it was disgusting."

"Oh, please, Aria. Don't be so dramatic. It wasn't horrible."

"It was for me."

Her tone made the conversation sound like it had reached a moot point. That was one of Aria's quirks; she was over opinionated. If she thought something was right, then it was right. There was no need, at least in her mind, for further conversation on the subject.

"I could go with you," Ezra offered. He bit his lip before resuming his work that was spread across his desk. Part of his heart lurched, knowing exactly what could happen that night if Aria went out. She'd meet someone. Plenty of people went out weekday nights in the city. Here, the inevitable was always possible.

"Its fine, Ez. You don't have to."

"But, I want to."

With reluctance, Aria let out a sigh. "Maybe I'll just stay in. It's Tuesday anyways. What fun is there to be had on a Tuesday night?" She shrugged, raising her iced coffee to her lips to take a hearty sip. It wasn't that she didn't want Ezra to come along; in any other circumstance, she'd be glad to have him there with her. But Aria had wanted to clear her head and resolve any possible feelings she had towards him with the aid of alcohol. If Ezra was there, there wasn't any telling what could happen.

"It's your call. All I'm saying is that I'd be glad to go with you." Ezra chewed on the cap of his pen. Dents formed in the now softened plastic. His eyes barely lifted up to meet hers and a certain tension filled the air. Aria placed her hands on her hips, watching Ezra for a bit.

This was how things went when they were exasperated with one another. There wasn't any talking or their light joking from earlier.

Aria felt a few sorrowful tears sting her eyes. She never liked arguing with Ezra. Sometimes, she was afraid she'd come close to losing him. Others, it was tiring and left her exhausted. Ezra himself hated fighting with Aria. He often thought it was what would possibly push her away from him in the long run.

"I'll see you later," she announced, picking up the empty cardboard coffee tray and walking straight out of the wood paneled classroom. Ezra watched her, practically slamming his head down on his desk in frustration as soon as Aria was out of sight.

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><p>Work had been light at the bookstore, so Aria closed up early. It didn't happen too often, but she relished when it did. Especially when the weather was as gorgeous as it was. The light breeze whipped at the hem of her sundress as she and Hanna scaled the streets, looking into shop windows. Her friend owned a boutique and closed it for a few hours to spend some girl time.<p>

"I don't know where it came from," Aria said, her mind on the sudden tension between Ezra and herself and her eyes trailing on a pair of shoes in a shop window. Hanna's eyes followed and she grimaced.

"Not your kind of shoes," she said, pushing them along. "What brought on the stare down?"

"I have no clue," Aria answered, seemingly distressed. "I just said I wanted to go out tonight and he said he'd come along. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to, but he insisted. So I ended up telling him I don't want to go out anymore."

By the time Aria finished her explanation, Hanna's head was spinning. "Don't you think you could've offended him by what you said? I mean, you basically shoved him aside and blatantly said you didn't want him there."

"Maybe," Aria agreed, biting down on her lip. "But there was much more than that. In a way, he seemed…jealous." It sounded more like a question than a straight statement. Nowadays, things with Ezra were getting confusing. Aria just wanted a clear sign on where they stood with one another.

Hanna's lips grew into a knowing smile. She'd witnessed Ezra's feelings the other night at game night when Aria had fallen asleep against him. The girl clearly didn't have a clue as to what she did to him. "He could be. Did you ever think there was a line you two were crossing past the friendship boundary?"

"What do you mean," Aria asked curiously, still observing the sights in the windows to her right side. Her heart sped up in her chest; Hanna was somewhat spot on in what she was saying.

"I mean, have you ever thought that you two could be more than friends? That there are feelings there you both haven't explored yet? Let's face it, Ar; you and Fitzy have amazing chemistry."

Aria blushed. "I guess we do. But chemistry doesn't make up for everything in a relationship."

"You trust him more than you trust Spencer and I. If you two didn't have to label yourselves as friends every five seconds, I would've thought you two were a married couple by now."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hanna," Aria scoffed.

"I'm not! Just…observe yourself next time you're with him. And when this tension passes. Then maybe you'll see." Little did Hanna know that Aria already had.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm probably the world's worst biology student; I pretty much write everything during that class. Today, I outlined this and Safe Place, as well as another Lucian story I have in the works. Let me just stay, I feel pretty proud with what I've come up with for this story. I'm really hoping it gains more reviews because I feel this could be the next "Reunited".**

**Disclaimer: As always, own nothing.**

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><p><em>Pride and Prejudice<em> had always been Aria's favorite novel with _Wuthering Heights_ close behind in second place. The only reason Austen took precedence over Brontë was due to the light hearted humor and the fact it wasn't a doomed romance. Cathy and Heathcliff barely had enough time with their love while Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy had the entire novel to make quips at one another to only fall into each other's arms.

It gave Aria a sense of hope. It allowed her to imagine falling in love with the unlikeliest person in the most unlikely way. Similar to every other girl, Aria lusted after having a Mr. Darcy of her own. She longed for a tall, dark, and handsome man to sweep her up off her feet and totally steal her heart at a moment where she least expected it. Perhaps she had found him though. But like Elizabeth, Aria was too foolish to realize it.

Her conversation with Hanna had struck a nerve; or at least a thought bubble. Aria hated it. She didn't want to think that Ezra could be her Mr. Darcy because of their friendship. That was something so sacred to Aria. It wasn't worth experimenting with when there was so much at stake. Or was it?

Suppose he was the right man for her; if Aria never acted upon what she felt, and she did feel something, she'd never attain the love she dreamt about.

But, if she acted upon her attraction and things didn't work out, Aria would be losing the only guy she really trusted. Her father had severed that cord when he cheated and broke apart her family. Past boyfriends had come and gone easily. Ezra had always stayed constant. The thought alone of losing him was too much to bear. Yet, Hanna had seemed so sure Ezra felt something.

Aria was weighing the option of believing her. Maybe she'd seen something; her friend was always the more observant one. It was how Hanna could tell the difference between a knock off pair of Prada pumps and knock offs, and then begin to screech in horror and demand to return them to the sample sale she had picked them up at.

Pages upon pages were turned until Aria was half way through her well-loved edition of the classic novel. Although early in the night, her eyelids were growing heavy from pouring over the worn and faded text. She'd definitely have to pick up a new copy later that week from the shop.

It was incredibly quiet that evening in the apartment, meaning that it was date night. Spencer and Wren had left an hour earlier to go to dinner and a showing of the movie Spencer had been nagging them all to see, but no one else had any desire to watch. Finally, she seemed to have worn Wren down. Hanna was down the hall, most likely fastening earrings into her double pierced ears to go to a club with Caleb.

Soon enough, the call of "Bye, Ar! Love you," signified Hanna's exit and Aria was left totally and completely alone. While wishing she had her own date to attend at times, she never minded being the only one in the apartment. It gave her liberties to do things she never usually did. One was singing in the shower. The other was turning up the stereo and dancing around crazily; simple things like that which would earn the critical eyes of her friends.

Aria put down her book and rested it on the nightstand before changing into a pair of lacey pajama shorts and a loose fitting tank top. Chinese leftovers were in the fridge; tonight would be an Audrey Hepburn movie marathon, lo mein straight from the carton, and an egg roll, all of these fixings for the perfect night in.

She turned on the radio as she heated up her food, humming along to the small buzzing of music. Aria had often been told she had a lovely voice, but she usually thought nothing of it; music wasn't her passion like writing was. Music provided somewhat of an escape, but never big enough, whilst writing let Aria delve into another world.

The _ding _of the microwave let Aria know her food was ready. Netflix was set up on the Xbox and the instant queue was filled with old movies, all the Audrey films in a row. Aria settled down on the couch and threw an old, but warm wool blanket across her knees. It had been somewhat of a chilly day outside, despite the spring's usual climate. _Global warming_, Aria thought, rolling her eyes.

_Breakfast at Tiffany's_ credits began to roll as Aria dug into the carton of lo mein. It had always been her favorite movie; one that she could watch over and over and never be bored of. The love story between Holly and Paul was an absolute novelty. It was pretty safe to say that she herself was a romantic; hopelessly entranced by the idea of love.

Aria had made it to the party scene when a knock sounded at the door. She groaned, but still got up to answer. Most likely, it was a neighbor who had forgotten their key and needed her to buzz them up. But the person standing across from Aria in the doorway was an absolute shock.

"Ezra," she spluttered, not sure of what to do. Inviting him in would've been the proper action, but Aria couldn't seem to bring herself to do that. She was surprised he was even here. Although the fight was meager, Ezra had seemed furious.

"Are you going to let me in," he asked, his tone light. Ezra had spent the entire day feeling guilty about launching at Aria the way he did. It wasn't her fault she didn't have a clue he became jealous at the thought of her meeting another man and falling for him; she wasn't aware of how he felt because Ezra had yet to make his feelings known.

After careful consideration, Ezra decided he was going to take that plunge. He wasn't able to skirt around what was plaguing him and had been for years for much longer. While knowing it put his entire relationship with Aria at a monopoly, Ezra wanted to tell her that he was in love with her. There could be the odd chance she felt the same, or at least had more than platonic feelings for him that they together could work upon.

"Yeah," Aria said, stepping aside to give him entrance. "Sorry. You scared me, that's all."

Ezra took in the apartment while Aria shut the door and dead bolted it. Spencer and Hanna wouldn't need to get back in; like most date night's they wouldn't be coming home until late the next morning. He saw the particular scene playing on the screen and smiled; _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ was Aria's favorite and always had been. From memory, it was what they watched during the first ever movie night.

"_Breakfast at Tiffany's_? Very original."

"Ha, you're funny." Aria bit her lip nervously, scared of what he'd want to talk about. "So, what's up?" She plopped back down on the sofa and pulled the blanket over her knees, hugging them close to her chest.

"I wanted to apologize for today. It wasn't right of me to completely jump down your throat like that. I don't need to know where you're going and be there with you at all times."

"It's alright, Ezra. I understand you being concerned, but you have to understand I'm not some defenseless little girl. I can take of myself; I have been for a while."

"I never said you weren't," Ezra spoke carefully, trying to avoid another argument. That would put his entire reasoning for coming over at a complete and total point of waste. "I'm just so used to being there for you. And…there's something else too."

Aria's heart began to race. From the soft changing of Ezra's tone, she knew Hanna was right. He did feel something more for her. And she was pretty sure he wasn't going to let it all come spilling out right then and there.

"What is it?"

"Aria, I…for the past couple of years, we've grown exponentially close. And sometimes, that closeness can influence other types of feelings that can occur between a man and a woman and…"

"Ezra, please stop rambling," Aria almost pleaded. She wanted him to get straight to the point by now; her anxiety was driving her insane.

"Right," Ezra said, coughing to clear his voice. His heart rammed against his rib cage, but there wasn't any turning back now. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you, Aria Christine Montgomery. And it's not the type of sisterly love that you'd probably expect. You're all I think about at night when I go to bed, wishing you were there next to me so I could hold you. When I see Wren and Spencer and Hanna and Caleb going on dates, like tonight for example, I pray that one day, you and I can be doing the same thing. I'm so in love with you that it basically hurt me today to think you could go out to some club tonight and find another man to fall in love with."

Aria stood in absolute shock. Her mind was telling her one thing, and that was to tell Ezra to leave while she thought about things. Her heart and body was telling her to go right up and kiss him. Hadn't this been what she was waiting for? Aria had spent basically all day dwelling on her attraction to Ezra. It would be stupid to let him stand there, proclaiming his love while she could possibly feel something of her own.

"Please say something," he begged.

"Ezra, I..." Aria walked forward and threw her arms around his neck, latching her lips onto his. Fireworks, the type you heard about in movies and read about in those cheesy teenage books, exploded in Aria's head as well as Ezra's. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, grappling at the soft fabric of her tank top. The pair broke away from one another, lust evident in their eyes before diving back into another kiss, this time more eager and hungry than anything.

Aria's fingers went to loosen the tie that was still around his neck; he must have come from work. Throwing it to the ground, she began to work on the buttons of his shirt. Ezra easily slid off her shorts before picking Aria up under her thighs. Her legs wound tightly around his torso, fingers still undoing his shirt until it fell to the floor beside his tie.

Luckily for them, the door to her bedroom was wide open. The straps of Aria's tank top were slipping all on their own as her shoulders heaved upwards to hold her arms about Ezra's neck. He carried them in, walking over to the bed and carefully lying Aria down.

The pair looked at each other. Neither were intoxicated in the least bit, but the want that had been building over the past years finally burst. It was true how men and women couldn't remain friends; at least when there was a major connection between the two.

Ezra's fingertips glided the straps of her tank top down and soon the silky fabric was on the floor. Aria, now clad in only her underwear, reached for the buttons on his pants, beginning to undo them until Ezra's voice stopped her.

"Aria, are you sure?" He sounded tender, not forcing.

"I'm sure," she whispered back, connecting their lips again and pulling his weight back down on top of her.

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><p>The next morning, Aria awoke with her limbs entangled with someone else's. Strong arms kept a sturdy hold around her waist and she curled into the mold of Ezra's chest lightly. Last night had been simply perfect, in more ways than one. Her whole body yearned to be stretched from their strenuous activity; after all, they woke up several times during the night to make love again. But the warmth radiating from them both was enough to pull her into the mattress.<p>

Ezra's nose buried into Aria's hair and he inhaled deep. The previous night had been more than he ever could've asked for. Showing his love to her was something Ezra had been wanting for a long time. Now that he had, he didn't regret it the least bit.

While Aria lay lazily in his embrace, a realization hit her. She had slept with Ezra. Well, of course they'd slept together; there wasn't any other explanation for their naked bodies. Kissing him hadn't been over her boundaries as she could easily form an excuse. Sex was something totally different. Aria couldn't take that back.

"You need to go," she said hurriedly while getting out of bed. Aria wrapped the white sheet around her bare body while tossing clothes at Ezra. Glancing at the clock, it was almost noon. There was a possibility Hanna and Spencer could come home at any given time. "You really need to go. Now."

"Aria, what's going on? Why are you pushing me out?"

"You just have to leave."

"Don't shut me out, Aria," Ezra said hurt. He thought last night had changed things between them. Could she be regretting what they day? Ezra wouldn't take back making love to her in a second.

"I'm not shutting you out," she protested. "You really need to go before the girls get home." Ezra quickly put on his clothes, not wanting to irritate Aria further. When they made it to her door, he turned to her.

"Can I call you later?"

"I don't know." Aria bit her lip.

"What do you mean you don't know? Can I call you or not? What the hell is going on, Ar?"

"Ezra, please? Not now. I'll talk to you soon, okay?" Aria barely gave him time to respond before shoving Ezra out the door. Once she locked it, Aria sank down to the floor. What had she gotten herself into?


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all the reviews! There were a lot more than the last chapter, so I'm taking it that you're liking the direction I'm taking it so far. I'm really enjoying the ideas I have and as I said, I feel like this could be the next "Reunited" of sorts.**

**One reviewer asked about Emily, and don't worry; she'll be coming into play later on in the story. I don't really have much left to say, so I'm going to start! Please review.**

**This chapter isn't as long as I would've liked, but I felt I had to end it where I did.**

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><p>Days passed since Ezra had been pushed and locked out of Aria's apartment. Soon, those few days passed into a week. Four weeks passed, which quickly turned into a month. Both of them ached to interact with one another, but there was an unspoken and brick-like wall built up between them. Aria hated having to push Ezra away, but it was the only thing she could think of doing at the moment. She wasn't ready to face him. Especially since overwhelming feelings for him had begun to flicker on.<p>

Ezra was, plainly stated, confused. There didn't seem to be a logical reason for why Aria would ignore him this long. She'd gone to an extreme, not even coming out for the annual monthly game night, which had been her idea in the first place. Even when Ezra stopped by to talk to Wren and Spencer and have a drink after work, Aria holed up in her room, passing it off to Spencer as a headache.

Her friends were beginning to pick up on her behavior as well. It perplexed Spencer, who had learned of their petty argument that one afternoon, that Aria hadn't forgiven him yet. Wren tried to console Ezra because the man was clearly heartbroken. Over what, he wasn't sure; Ezra wouldn't say a thing about what gone down with Aria. Hanna also found it strange that Aria refused to see him and was somewhat disheartened. She had thought her wise words would've worked in pushing them together.

Aria wondered how her blonde friend would react if she really knew what had happened and was the reason why she was pushing Ezra to the farthest corners of her life.

The small brunette was spending that Saturday afternoon in her room, as always. She hadn't been feeling well lately. Spencer thought it was the flu. Hanna thought it was stress. Whatever it was, was making Aria sick to her stomach. The previous night, she'd thrown up her dinner and this morning her breakfast. Her head ached with a vengeance and Aria hadn't ever felt this tired before.

It must have been the stress she'd been dealing with that was pushing her monthly cycle off course too. It had happened in high school during the SATS where Aria didn't have her period for a month until after the standardize testing was over.

At least, that's what Aria hoped and wished for. Her stomach twisted and she bolted to the bathroom. Aria heaved, but luckily, nothing came up except for a clammy sweat that broke out on her forehead. Needless to say, she felt like crap. With her cheek pressed against the porcelain of the toilet, Aria closed her eyes and wished for it all to go away.

And by all, she meant _everything_. Everything with Ezra and everything going on inside her body included the feelings that were stirring up for him. Enough was enough; Aria was done.

Spencer, who had heard her dry retching from the living room where she'd been reading a book, came rushing in. Aria looked green and queasy. Biting her lip, Spencer bent down and laid Aria's head in her lap. She stroked her mussed curls, trying to relax her friend.

"What's going on, Aria," Spencer asked worriedly. "You're never this sick."

"I—I don't know, Spencer," Aria said weakly, pressing a hand against her forehead to wipe off a sheen of sweat. "On day I'm fine, the next I'm exhausted and throwing up."

"When did you throw up exactly? I can take a look at you if you tell me what's going on."

"Since yesterday morning. And my head has been spinning every which way, plus the fatigue."

Spencer's heart raced. Being a doctor, she knew fully well these weren't exactly signs of the flu. In fact, they were symptoms of something _very_ different. But was it possible? Spencer didn't know of Aria's sex life, so it could be. Deciding to venture forward in her questioning, Spencer took a huge breathe as a way to cushion whatever Aria's answer would be.

"When were you supposed to get your period?"

"Monday."

It was Friday.

"Aria, I think you need to go get a pregnancy test," Spencer cautioned.

Aria's stomach dropped. Her hands gripped the side of the toilet and pulled herself upward to let everything out. Spencer held her hair back. Once finished and cleaned off with a warm wash rag, Aria sat with her back pressed against the door. This couldn't be happening. There was no way. She and Ezra had used protection….hadn't they? Aria couldn't remember. But if they didn't, then there was a reason why this was happening.

Placing her head in her lap, she let out a sob. Spencer rubbed her back soothingly to ease her cries. With straight A's in high school and a high GPA in college, Spencer had always been extremely smart. Now was time to piece things together. Aria was possibly pregnant and she wasn't speaking to Ezra. Could she and Ezra have...? It seemed logical enough to Spencer. She'd been watching the romantic tension between the two build up for years. It was about time it had exploded.

"Aria? Did you sleep with Ezra? Is that why you're avoiding him?"

Aria didn't want to look Spencer straight in the eye. Clueless to the fact all her friends had been vouching for her and Ezra to be a couple, she thought they'd be ashamed of her recent activities.

"Only once; he told me he loved me and my emotions got the best of me. So, i—if I'm p—pregnant, the baby is his. I haven't been with anyone since."

"Clearly," Spencer snorted. "You haven't been the most social. I guess I know why now."

"If I am, you have to swear not to tell anyone. Not even Ezra." Aria gulped nervously, pushing some hair away from her face with a shaky hand. "He can't know. I 'll lose him for good."

"You're never going to lose him, Ar," Spencer counseled. From observation, Ezra was just as heartbroken as Aria seemed to be. Only he made his feelings about everything known with his demeanor as well as voicing them to Wren. Aria didn't seem to even be aware she was suffering from heartbreak. "The man is just as heartbroken as you are. But you _have_ to tell him. And tell him quick."

"I'm not heartbroken," Aria defended.

"You are. Don't argue. I know what it looks like."

Groaning, Aria was growing anxious and impatient. If there was a tiny being growing inside of her, she wanted to know now. The walk to Rite Aid was long though; she'd keel over from anticipation if she went by herself, much less went at all. "Can you just get the test? Please?" Her voice broke as another round of tears hit her.

"Of course, Hon." Spencer wrapped her arms around Aria's visibly shaking frame. "Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

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><p>An hour later, Aria was waiting outside the bathroom. Her phone timer had yet to gone off the signal the three tests' results, but the minutes were beginning to feel like hours. The waiting for the tests had been pure agony; Aria was sure this was what hell felt like. Spencer popped her head into her friend's bedroom to watch.<p>

"Anything yet?"

"No," Aria responded just as the alarm went off. "Well, now, I guess." On shaking legs, Aria clambered into the bathroom to look at the three different sticks. Much to her disapproval and fear, the three indicators were showing positive results with a small, pink plus sign.

"Oh God," Aria choked, walking out of the bathroom with all three in hand. "Oh my God."

"What? What did they say?" Spencer ran in nervously, all though she had a fairly good idea of what the tests were telling Aria.

"I'm pregnant." Aria's world felt like it was spinning. This wasn't supposed to have happened. Her and Ezra's one night together was supposed to had been something that had formed of passion and something they never had to revisit unless totally necessary. Now, there was a reminder. Not that Aria wouldn't love this baby with every fiber of her being, but if they had Ezra's eyes, it would be a constant indication of her botched friendship.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she fanned out the three tests to show Spencer the results. One test had a plus sign. The second has a small pink "Yes" written. And the last only showed two little lines rather than a negative symbol.

"You have to tell him," Spencer said, wrapping her friend into a hug. "You've got to."

"I—I can't," Aria quivered.

"You can," Spencer replied. "Look at me, Aria. You're strong and you've got to do what's right. It's not just you anymore. It's you and this baby. I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow and they can perform a test to find out officially. And if you are and these aren't some fluke, you're going to tell Ezra."

"What if he's angry?"

"Aria," Spencer said wryly. "The man is so in love with you. I don't think he'd care if you told him the world was ending. He'll probably look at this as an opportunity."

"For what," Aria asked, drying a few tears that spilled onto her cheeks.

"An opportunity for you two. I'm not sure what, but he'll know. He'll make it known to you. He loves you, Aria. Ezra isn't like most men. Even if you two aren't together, he's not going to run."

"He—he better not," Aria sniffled, clutching the three tests to her chest. They dropped to the floor as she hugged Spencer tight, but deep down; Aria saw truth to her friend's words. Everything would be alright.


	6. Chapter 6

**You're all lucky I have a huge amount of inspiration for this story. The lacking of reviews is troubling. And I'm giving you two updates in one day! Next week is my spring break, so you'll be getting multiple updates from all stories.**

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><p>Ezra's classroom looked darker than usual to him. Stuck teaching in a preparatory school, the windows always seemed to be dim as the blinds were always shut. The students' attitudes often contributed to the atmosphere as well. Coming from families in the Upper East Side, they often had their noses stuck up in the air. It wasn't something Ezra, who had an easy going nature, liked, but the job paid well.<p>

A few students seemed to pick up on his change of demeanor though. Ezra was grumpy and unenthusiastic. He often heard word that his class was the most fun out of out any in the English department, but apparently his skills were lacking. Ezra rarely did hands on projects that involved interaction anymore because he himself didn't feel like dealing with teenagers who only irritated him further. All he did was write up a reading assignment and sit at his desk to mope.

"Fitz, are you okay?" Ezra lifted his head up from staring at paperwork to meet the eyes of several curious students. Being concerned for someone other than themselves was a rare occurrence. It was a junior, Connor who whenever Ezra saw him seemed to have girls hanging from his arms in the hallway.

"Go back to your work, Connor."

"But seriously, Mr. Fitz," piped in a girl sitting in the back row. She could put down the nail file when his well being was concerned, but assumedly not when it was time for work. "Are you alright?"

"You're pretty down," said Connor once more. "Is it a girl? You look like you have girl troubles."

"Connor," Ezra said sternly, putting down his pen with a slight slam. "My personal business has nothing to do with your studies, nor is it appropriate for you to hear about it." He had snapped. "Go back to your work before I have to report you to the dean for inappropriate conduct."

Ezra went back to his work for the remaining half hour without disturbance. His outburst had been completely out of character, but students prying about Aria had tested him to the farthest extent. The students filed out quietly and quickly. For the next two periods, Ezra was free. Like most times this occurred, he graded for the first period and then grabbed coffee in the teacher's lounge.

The first period passed quickly and soon enough, Ezra was descending down to the teacher's lounge with premium coffee. The jolt was exactly what he needed to get him out of his funk, at least for the rest of the school day.

He expected strange looks from the other teachers. Word spread fast around schools such as this one. A practical temper tantrum thrown by a teacher was big news. Ezra ignored them though and crossed straight to the coffee maker to make himself a mug.

The only co-worker brave enough to face him was his long time friend, Hardy Mitchell, a history teacher.

"I heard you started crying in front of your class today," the other man remarked, nonchalantly reaching for a mug alongside Ezra. Hardy was about the same age with dirty blonde hair. Outside of school, he was notorious ladies man. More often than not, he tried to set Ezra up on a blind date or take him out to a club, but his attempts never remained fruitful as the girls never were Aria.

"I didn't start crying," Ezra replied in monotone.

"Connor Edwards claimed last period that he saw tears in your eyes."

"I snapped. It's not appropriate for a student to pry into the personal affairs of a teacher."

"Well, what is exactly going on, Ez," Hardy pressed. "You're not yourself."

Ezra didn't reply. Instead, he poured the coffee out of its gourmet maker and into his mug. Next came the fixings, which for him had always been a spoonful of sugar and nothing else. Ezra preferred his coffee next to black. If it was too sweet or too milky, he couldn't stomach the drink.

"Nothing's going on," Ezra finally said, lying through his teeth.

"Is it Aria? You only act this way when it's about her." Hardy knew about Ezra's love for his best friend. But, the man didn't have a clue about the night exactly a month ago that they had shared, nor that he had told her how he felt.

Unable to keep up a front at his friend's assumption, Ezra's façade broke. "I told her how I felt…and we had this _amazing_ night. And she's been ignoring me for the past month."

"Wait," Hardy said incredulously. "By night, you mean…"

"Yes, Hardy. That's what I mean. But…I haven't seen or spoken to her in a month and it's really eating at me. I feel like I'm losing her when we barely even had a chance."

"Call her then," Hardy reasoned. "Call her and tell her that you two need to talk and are going to one way or another. It would be better if you did it on your own accord."

"She's not going to pick up."

"Text her then."

"That's hardly professional."

"It's not about being professional," Hardy said, swiping the mug in Ezra's hand that was still steaming and yet to be sipped from. Luckily for him, they both took their coffee the same way. "It's about talking to her and setting things straight. Just call her." Hardy patted Ezra on the back and hurried off. Ezra barely realized his coffee had been stolen. His mind was mulling over Hardy's suggestion. With resolve, Ezra took out his iPhone and pulled up Aria's number for the first time in a long time.

**We need to talk. Come over later. I'm not taking no for an answer, Aria. I'll be home around six. Come any time after- Ezra**

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><p>Apartment 3B had been a home to Aria as much as her own apartment. Countless movie nights had been spent there was well as the occasional sleepover where she would crash on his couch after a long night and Ezra would carry Aria to his bed and he's reside on his sofa. Chinese takeout cartons had been shared in his living room, a water fight with his sink in the kitchenette. Every good memory had happened in that tiny apartment.<p>

Now, something Aria wasn't sure she could determine as good or bad was to occur in the very living room of firsts. Then again, this was the first time she had to tell a man she was pregnant. Spencer had taken Aria to the hospital to have an actual test performed. That sealed the deal and Spencer had practically pushed Aria into the lobby of Ezra's apartment building. That and his text from earlier had been good enough reason to show.

It was a bit earlier than Ezra had intended for her to arrive, but Aria knew where he kept the spare key. His absence would give her time to formulate just how she would break the news. Spencer's words from the previous day resonated with her.

Ezra wouldn't run. He couldn't run. If he loved her as much as he had described that night, he wouldn't flat out abandon her. Not only did his declaration prove that, but Ezra's character as well. Aria knew firsthand from all the years that he wasn't the leaving kind, nor was he the type to abandon someone when they needed him most.

It was safe to say that Aria needed him now more than she had ever in their friendship; much more than anyone she'd needed over the course of her life and that included parents and various friends.

Twisting the key into the lock, Aria entered Ezra's lonesome apartment for the half hour she had free before he came home. It gave her time to formulate how she'd tell him, except that only made Aria more nervous than she was before. Preparing a speech had never been her forte.

She gazed around the apartment, instantly feeling comfortable. Everything was in its rightful place, even the books she'd stored away the last time she had helped Ezra clean the place up. Usually it was messy and disorganized.

Aria couldn't help but notice the open bottle of scotch and the few spare tumblers lying around. Instantly, she wished he hadn't been drinking because of her, but it seemed highly unlikely. When distressed, a glass or two…or four of scotch helped soothe Ezra.

His bed was made and the dishes were put away. Maybe he was being meticulous to pass the time that they had spent apart? Usually, most of Ezra's time was spent either at work or with Aria herself. Since she'd stripped him of being with her for a month, Ezra obviously had to have come up with something else to take up excess hours.

The half an hour passed quickly and soon enough there was a click at the door. Aria jumped and turned around just in time to see Ezra sigh. He probably was thinking she wasn't coming; she hadn't texted him back in confirmation in the first place.

Ezra turned his back to the door and literally jumped at the sight of Aria sitting there on his couch. Her eyes were streaked with what seemed to be unshed tears, but even amidst the angst they were going through, his heart beat fast just looking at her.

"Aria," Ezra choked, putting down the leather briefcase; something she had gotten him on his first day of work. "You're…early. _Really_ early."

"I know," she said, gulping. The pit of her stomach churned although nowadays, Aria wasn't sure if it was just from being nervous or if it was from morning sickness. Either of the two worked, but she hoped and prayed she couldn't throw up on Ezra's floor. "But there's something I have to tell you."

"Yeah, me too. Listen…the other night, I…"

"I don't regret it," Aria said. "I only regret my behavior afterwards." She motioned for Ezra to come over and sit beside her. Despite having to look him in the eye, Aria didn't want him to fall over out of shock. And she wanted to have a hold on him so he couldn't go running out the door. It's not every day that you hear from the best friend you're in love with and slept with that she'd pregnant. Aria would be in shambles if he freaked out and left her all alone.

"It was wrong of me to shut you out. It was childish too. I should've sucked it up and talked to you. I've practically put everything in jeopardy now, haven't I?"

"What do you mean," Ezra asked, reaching out to take her hand lightly. He needed Aria to know that he'd be there for her always. Forever and always.

"You don't hate me?"

"I could never hate you, Aria," Ezra said.

"Then please don't hate me when I say what I'm going to say next, but I'm really going to need you over the next few months. Actually, more like the next eighteen years if you can stand me for that long."

Ezra's stomach dropped. He knew what was coming next. Although, he wasn't upset, nor was he angry. He wanted a life with Aria, even if he had to work for it. "Why," he replied, playing along although he knew would be coming out from Aria's mouth in the matter of seconds.

"I'm pregnant. And the baby is yours." Tears began to stream down her face. Ezra was in shock, put took her into his arms in an instant. "Please don't leave me alone," Aria begged. "I can't do it without you."

"I wouldn't leave you for the world," Ezra said, rocking them back and forth. He brushed a matted curl from Aria's forehead and held her a bit tighter. "We're going to do this together. Because that's what parents do. Everything will be alright; think of this as a new door for us."

Aria grappled his strong arms and sighed, trying to silent her tears. Spencer had been right and suddenly, her condition didn't feel like a punishment from karma anymore.

"You promise," she pleaded, looking up to Ezra with her enlarged hazel eyes.

"I promise," Ezra said firmly, stroking Aria's hair and holding her once more against his chest. "I swear I'll always be there for what's going to be our family, even if we're not _together_ or we have to work towards that point. I'm not going to give up."


	7. Chapter 7

**Spring break in just a day! I'm so excited. You can bet there will be multiple updates. **

**Could we just bask in the glory that was the Lucian pictures from set the other day? I'm sorry, but those two are meant to be. I regret nothing. I was in pure and utter bliss.**

**Anyways, regarding the disclaimer, it's the same as always; I own nothing. Enjoy! Reviews mean the world!**

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><p>"We should celebrate," Ezra said suddenly. Aria perked her head up, the tears drying from her eyes. It was funny how he could take what she thought would be detrimental news and spin it into nothing short of a holiday. Aria's pink lacquered fingers loosened their grip on his dress shirt that was now stained with tears.<p>

"Celebrate," she asked with the slight quirk of an eyebrow. Going out for a drink was that last thing she had in mind, especially since Aria couldn't exactly drink a glass of scotch alongside Ezra at one of the hidden gems they'd found years back.

"Yeah, celebrate. Go out for dinner, possibly invite everyone."

Aria's eyes widened. "Ezra, I don't want everyone knowing. Only Spencer does for obvious reasons, but Hanna, Wren, and Caleb have no clue we've slept together. That alone will be a surprise, much less the news of a baby on the way."

"So we'll tell them we're celebrating for making up. Everyone knows about how you've been icing me out."

"I was not icing you out," Aria protested, easily falling back into their friendship; or whatever their relationship was at the moment.

"You were," Ezra said, brushing his fingers lightly against her cheek. "But that's not really important now, is it?"

"No," Aria responded. "But I just want to have the satisfaction of winning."

"Not this round, Montgomery." Ezra chuckled and got up from the couch. His hands brushed at the dress pants he was wearing before going into his pocket to grab his iPhone. The plan was to send out a mass text and then clean up. Peering down at Aria, Ezra couldn't believe his luck; if you could call the whole ordeal luck, that is.

Having a baby would give him nine, well more like eight months to prove to Aria he was the right man for her. Eight months to get her to fall in love with him. It wouldn't be that hard; their night was enough proof that she felt something for him. Even so, if Aria didn't develop anything more during that time, Ezra had eighteen years to do so as well.

"So, dinner," Ezra repeated, his fingers flying across the touch screen of his phone to send the text. Aria didn't even have time to respond before he sent the group message. "Too bad, you don't have a choice."

Aria simply groaned and walked into his kitchen. She was in desperate need of coffee. The rich liquid always seemed to clam her after a long and distressing day; today certainly fit those qualifications. Ezra's coffee maker was one of the Keurig types that were easy and practical to use. Just as she put in the brew and was about the press "go", a hand shot out and slapped hers away.

"No coffee for you. It's terrible for the baby."

If heart break was audible, Aria's would have split in two. "No coffee," she pouted. Life without coffee would be unimaginable. What would be there to jump start her day? Ease her troubles? Coffee was her therapist or was her obsession; either worked.

"No coffee," Ezra confirmed, kissing her forehead like he always did. Only this time, it felt different than platonic to Aria. "You go distract yourself and stay out of the kitchen. I'm going to get changed."

She nodded and let him walk off. Aria always managed to entertain herself in Ezra's apartment. There were artifacts to look at, a wide range of books on his enormous shelf, or the simple flat screen across from the couch. Only today, Aria took to the bathroom with a full length mirror on the back of the door. She gingerly lifted up her shirt and stared at her stomach in the mirror.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything yet to indicate the baby. Knowing Ezra would be beside her every step of the way erased dread. Now, Aria only feared what she'd tell everyone, more so her parents. They loved Ezra, but she wasn't exactly certain how they'd handle a pregnancy.

The more she felt around, the more Aria felt a small protrusion in the midst of her milky skin. A faint smile hinted at the corners of her mouth; that had to have been the makings of what would be her baby bump.

"Hi, Baby," she whispered softly, feeling silly to be talking to the air. Still, Aria went ahead. "This is your mommy. You're probably the size of a quarter, but I love you already. Your daddy is getting changed, but I'm so glad he'll be a part of your life."

"He's pretty glad too," Ezra smiled. He'd been watching her for the past minute, but caught enough to know that Aria had been talking to the baby. Aria looked at him startled, a short intake of breath escaping her lips. "Ready to go? We're meeting at that little Chinese place five blocks away. Rose of Sharon?"

"Yeah, that was it," Aria said, tucking her blouse back down. "Just let me grab my things." She hadn't taken much over with her; only her purse and the shoes she'd long since strewn on the ground. Aria only prayed she didn't look like a mess of tears. A make up wouldn't have involved as much crying as she had done.

"Do I look bad," she asked Ezra, turning towards him just as they were about to leave. Ezra came Aria a once over, although he knew she was referring to any tear streaks that could be visible on her cheeks and puffiness around her eyes. Luckily, there was only a slight pink tinge left.

"You look beautiful, Ar, as always."

"Thanks," Aria blushed, hoping that he was telling the truth rather than lying to make her feel better. Knowing Ezra, he was being honest.

* * *

><p>Rose of Sharon was a tiny hole in the wall restaurant that not very many people knew of. This was possibly because the restaurant was practically hidden behind several buildings. Aria and Ezra had only come by it perchance during a heavy rainstorm where her stomach had been grumbling and they were sopping wet. With hot soup in them, the two instantly fell in love with the food and have gotten take out from there and brought their friends ever since.<p>

The décor was fairly simple cherry wood tables and dark lighting. Although not well known, it wasn't a chintzy little place. The menu was fairly priced, not outrageous, but not so cheap that you'd question the quality of the food. As always, Aria and Ezra were the last to arrive.

"Look who made up," Hanna cheered from her seat. Aria laughed, watching Caleb hold her friend down by the arm so she wouldn't jump up from the seat. Tables were tightly packed and knowing Hanna, she'd trip in her sky high heels.

"Yes, Hanna. We made up. We're friends again." The short brunette brushed a piece of hair out of her face and smiled faintly at Ezra before going to take her seat besides Spencer. She didn't dare venture into anything more than friendship right now; that was her conclusion while they were walking. While holding Ezra's hand in hers had felt wonderful, Aria didn't want anything to screw up with something so precious along the way.

Ezra bit the inside of his cheek, wishing that they could say more. Nothing had been finalized on whether or not they were a couple or when they were going to tell everyone of Aria's pregnancy though. He wasn't even sure if Aria wanted to make them more than just friends or hold off.

Hanna frowned slightly before casting Ezra a look. Obviously, she had hoped that along with making up, the two would have become a couple. Responding to her glance with a sigh, Ezra took the seat opposite of Aria.

"Are you okay," Spencer whispered to Aria as the dinner progressed. The table was laden with food and rowdy conversation had taken over. The boys had drank several beers already while Hanna was nursing an authentic Chinese cocktail and Spencer was running her pinky finger around the rim of her empty wine glass.

"I'm fine," Aria said defensively; she'd been looking out the window all night, which was different from her usual behavior. She was usually the life of the party. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Ezra had been watching her discreetly and was relived to her Spencer bring it up.

"You don't look fine," Spencer replied. "Did everything go okay with Ezra?"

"Everything went accordingly. He's happy about it; we'll work through it."

"Then why do you look like someone just ran over your dog?"

"Because this whole thing scares me," Aria whispered back with fervor. Her teeth were clenched, which should have kept her voice down, but unfortunately, it only grew louder. "Because I have no idea how this will all play out. I'm so afraid, Spencer. You have no idea."

"Afraid of what," Hanna perked up, raising her eyes from her drink. "What's not going to play out right?" Caleb and Wren gave her a questioning look. Ezra bit his lip.

Her nerves had gone absolutely shot; at this point, Aria didn't have any control over her body, much less what she said or did. "I'm pregnant. Happy now? You have your answer." Tears burned once more as things began to feel like they were falling apart at the seams.

"Aria," Ezra said wearily while watching her get up from her seat.

"Oh," she said, giving him a look. "I forgot an important detail; the baby is Ezra's." She knew she was causing a scene, but Aria didn't have any way to keep herself from the emotions that had been plaguing her all throughout dinner. She threw down her napkin and didn't look back as she stormed out of the restaurant.

Spencer looked at Ezra; the others were too shocked from Aria's big reveal to form any sort of coherent sentence and say it. "You better go after her before she gets into trouble. You know what irrational Aria looks like."

"Right," Ezra nodded, still a bit shocked she had let it all out in the blink of an eye. He dropped his napkin and ran, almost knocking into the table on his way out.

The city streets were crowded, but luckily, Aria hadn't gotten too far. She was simply standing by the entrance, taking deep breaths in and out with her arms clutched around her stomach. Tears were running down her face while people passed by.

The one thing great about New York is that people are too far interested in their own affairs than those of the people on the street around them. Nobody ever usually stops and asks what's wrong.

"Hey," he spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. Aria looked up at him, but only began to cry more. "Come here." Ezra pulled Aria up from the half seated position she was in and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm so scared, Ezra. I—I didn't mean for it to all come out, but it just did. It's hard to lie to them all." Aria shook as she cried, but adjusted to the feeling of being in his arms. She snuggled against his chest as he held her, staining her shirt with tears.

"What's there to be scared of?"

"You're going to get fed up and leave."

"Aria," Ezra sighed. "When has there ever been a time when I abandoned you. With me and you, we don't leave each other behind. We stick together through thick and thin." Ezra grimaced at his phrase choice. "I'm always going to be there for you, whether it's as a friend, a father to our child, or something more."

"I—I'm not ready to talk about that yet," Aria said quietly, gaining a hold of herself. "Can we just go home? To your place? I don't want to have to face them all when they get back." She shook her head. "I don't want questions yet."

"Of course," Ezra nodded. Without another word, they walked back towards his apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Two consecutive updates! I'm really adoring this story and I have so many ideas for it. I'll be updating the others too, so don't worry! I don't really have much on an author's note except to say that you all are amazing with reviewing; please don't stop!**

**As disclaimers always go, I own nothing.**

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><p>"Aria, you're going to need to face them sometime," Ezra said whilst banging on the bathroom door where Aria was located. She had the usual bout of morning sickness, but now sat with her back against the door, wanting to be a barricade of some sort to protect herself from him. Ezra had been pressing for her to go back to her apartment and explain everything to the others. While he enjoyed having her at his place for two days, she couldn't keep running. They both knew full well that it was best to get it over with. Aria was just reticent.<p>

"I don't want to," she protested, feigned a cough. "Just let me and your baby deal with my vomiting in peace."

"You're not throwing up anymore, Ar. And don't pin the blame for it on the baby; and blame your body for the upchuck. You'll have to face everyone some time."

Aria's iPhone buzzed, drawing Ezra's attention away from dealing with the tiny brunette who was being exasperatingly stubborn. It had been ringing off the hook, on and on, for the past two days. The callers ranged from Hanna to even Aria's parents, whose questions she was able to dodge. The group had been one thing; her parents were another case. The only person who's calls and texts Aria answered was Spencer.

"Who is it this time?" Aria obviously heard it go off. It was hard to ignore the high volume and blaring of Beyonce's _Love on Top_, which emanated from Ezra's nightstand. She'd been sleeping in his bed with him on the couch.

Ezra glanced at the lit up touch screen. "Hanna. Are you sure you don't want to talk to her? It's the third time she's rung you up this morning alone."

"No, Ezra," Aria groaned. "I'm pretty sure I've made it clear I don't want to speak to any of them at the moment. Not now, not yet. I'm not ready."

"Are you ever going to be ready? You can't just hide out here for nine months and expect to be able to explain everything while cradling an infant in your arms. If anything, that would only be more difficult."

Aria got up from her spot just behind the door. She'd most likely get hit anyways if Ezra tried to force himself inside to attempt to talk sense into her. Opening the door just a crack to watch his facial expressions, Aria poked her head out, but was met directly with Ezra's chest. She had to look up to meet his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean," Ezra began, grinning at the opportunity to lure her fully out of the bathroom. He grasped the door knob and pulled it open to find her standing staunching, hands on her hips. Aria's head was cocked to the side, the corner of her lip being bit down between her teeth.

"What I mean is that if you never seize the opportunity and look at your fears right in the face, you'll never know if you're ready or not."

"Who are you to judge if that's the case, huh? Maybe I just don't want to see them all right now? Maybe I'm so sick of them all dramatizing every single situation. It's just a baby, Ezra."

"Just a baby," he asked, a bit offended. "This is a life, you and I created. It's a lot more than just a baby."

"Okay, so wrong choice of words. You know that this little person that's half me, half you means more than anything to me now. But, they freak out over everything; the tiniest things go unnoticed."

"They care about, you, Aria. They only want to know what's going on. Hanna's called me multiple times at work, begging for me to tell her how you are and what the hell is going on in your mind. I've haven't said anything out of respect, but they're worried."

"Ezra, I…" Aria's voice cut off as she moved closer to him. Their eyes met and automatically, Ezra's hand shot out to raise her chin so Aria could look him directly in the eyes.

"You can do this, Ar," Ezra said confidently. He pulled Aria against his chest, their bodies molding. More than anything, Aria wished everything was so much simpler so she could tell him how she felt. To most people, her reasoning was a bit illogical. If you knew the father of your baby was hopelessly in love with you and you had feelings for him, why not jump at the potential family.

For Aria, she was still scared to ruin the friendship; as if being pregnant with his baby wasn't enough. Luckily for her, Ezra was a patient guy. He'd wait for her; that was just how much he loved Aria.

"You are the strongest woman I know," he continued. "I don't think you have any idea how much I love you…in both senses." Aria looked down and blushed. Ezra knew her stand point about not being ready to talk about where their stood, but he couldn't help but let it slip. "And I know you can own up to everything and tell them right then and there. Besides, I'd be right beside you, holding you hand."

Aria nodded her head and looked up at Ezra. More than anything, she wanted to kiss him, but stopped herself from doing so. The struggle was indefinitely difficult; Aria had never been fantastic at keeping her emotions in check. "You promise you'll be right beside me," she asked Ezra, taking his hand and hers and squeezing tight.

"Every step of the way." Ezra's entire face brightened as he shot Aria a toothy boyish grin. "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. I guess I'm just your mighty force."

"Do you have any idea how egotistical you actually are."

"Oh, I'm fully aware, my dear. I just don't like to admit it.

"You're horrible."

"And you should be getting ready." Ezra chuckled and pushed Aria towards his bedroom. "Go get dressed and I'll call Hanna to let them know we'll be over soon."

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><p>Aria's stomach churned as she twisted the knob to her apartment. From the clacking of heels against the floor and the loud grinding of the blender, Hanna and Spencer were obviously up to their normal activities. It was just how things went when they were worried about one another; the girls kept distracted to keep from dwelling on whatever was going on. "I can't do this," she said, drawing her hand away and turning on her heel.<p>

Ezra caught her and placed Aria's hand back on the door knob. "Yes you can. On my count, open the door. Ready? One, two, three."

On his call, Aria pushed open the door to the apartment. It seemed like all forms of activity ceased the minute she stepped into the clearing of space which led off to different parts of the apartment. Spencer practically dropped the banana in her hand, but Hanna rushed forward to wrap her arms tightly around Aria. Ezra decided to let them have their moment and went to join Wren and Caleb on the couch.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was," Hanna cried. Aria was shocked she was more concerned with her well being then the fact she hadn't told her she was pregnant right away.

"I'm sorry, Han," Aria said, wrapping her arms around the blonde. Although not as worried, Spencer came over and joined in on the hug.

Wren looked to Ezra and jabbed him in the side. "You could've told us you finally got her."

"Yeah," Caleb joined in. For being worried, they seemed especially good natured at the moment. Partly because Ezra hadn't been the one to run off. And the fact that they were guys who didn't want to seem weak and wanted to be crutches for their nervous girlfriends.

"I don't really have her per say," Ezra said, wishing it was the total opposite. "We haven't talked about us being anything more than friends and parents yet. The tensions there, but Aria's been too distracted to really discuss it."

"Well, considering your situation," Caleb said. "You've got eighteen years to make her see the light."

"I know," Ezra replied. "I just hope it doesn't take all the eighteen years. Maybe it'll only take eight months."

"I've seen the way she looks at you, Ezra," Wren joined in. "I don't think Aria realizes it herself, but she adores you. You've just got to make her realize her feelings. I've got fully confidence in you."

"Me too," Caleb said.

"Thanks guys," Ezra smiled before putting his feet up on the coffee table and joining them in whatever they had been doing previously. That was short lived though because soon enough, Aria was standing in front of them, prepared to explain what had happened.

Ezra got up and held her hand tightly; Hanna gave a little sigh of happiness at that and winked at him. Spencer gave Ezra a knowing smile along with the other two men. He squeezed Aria's hand back as if to say she had this under control. It could only go up from here.

"We slept together while you all were out on date night," Aria began. "We had fought earlier and Ezra had come over to apologize. He ended up telling me about his feelings and I kissed him. Obviously it grew to be something more and the next thing we knew it was morning and we were lying next to each other in bed with clothes all over the floor."

Hanna being the excitable person she was, was bouncing up and down on the couch cushions. She knew they'd end up together in the end. At least now they were on that path.

"So for the next month, we didn't speak at all. I guess that was partly my fault."

"Is that why you iced him out," Wren asked. "Because he just kept complaining."

"Yes, Wren," Aria giggled. Ezra complaining and whining like a child was always an entertaining sight. "Anyways, we didn't speak and soon enough, I had symptoms for a pregnancy. Spencer took me to the hospital and we had a test done besides the home ones. And they were positive. Which leads us to right now."

Letting out a huge breathe, Aria smiled. It felt better to have everything out in the open with the people she was closest with than to bottle it up. It had been killing her to leave them all questioning why she had run straight out of Rose of Sharon that night. Ezra smiled at her and brushed over her knuckles with her thumb.

"I told you that you could do it," he smiled.

"Thank you," Aria whispered.

"Wait," Hanna said, turning to Spencer with wide eyes. "You knew? How could you not tell me?"

"Hanna," Spencer interjected, not wanting a scene. "It's beside the point and in the past. Everything is out now and we all know."

"Fine," the blonde pouted. "So, what are you two going to do?"

"We're going to have the baby and raise them as a Fitz. And, Aria's going to move in with me."

"I'm what," Aria asked, turning towards Ezra. She dropped his hand and shook her head, trying to process everything. That was something they hadn't talked about yet, or at all for that matter. In fact, she was sure she was going to stay at her apartment for the time being.

"You're going to be moving in with me. I want to be able to take care of my family and I can't do that with you in another apartment blocks away."

"Your family," Aria replied, feeling a bit touched. Ezra had always been sincere and sweet, but her heart strings were being tugged. The urge to kiss him was back again. If they hadn't been in front of everyone, she was sure she wouldn't have kept herself from doing so.

"My family," Ezra nodded. "So what do you say?" Everyone seated on the couch leaned forward as if Aria's answer wouldn't be audible.

"Yes," Aria smiled. "Of course."


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm working on updating all my other stories. So far, this has been the one that I've felt the most confident with. It's probably because I have a clear idea of where it's going to go. Don't worry; tomorrow I'll be working on Safe Place. I'm going to sit myself down and write out a chapter if it's the last thing I do. With some help, I might be able to drag up a couple ideas for the next chapter.**

**This chapter isn't as long as I'd have liked, but I'm going to start working on how to pound out chapters with more than two thousand words. If any other author reading this has an idea or any tips, they'd be greatly appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I think you guys will love this chapter.**

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><p>"So, you're moving in with him. How does that feel?" A pile of compressed cardboard boxes sat on the floor of Aria's bedroom, while she and Spencer folded clothes. Aria wouldn't have cared if she just threw things into the boxes and sort them out at Ezra's spacious apartment, but Spencer seemed to have a methodical way to folding everything and sorting them out. For their last moments as roommates, she didn't want to take the liberty away from her.<p>

She raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "It feels like nothing," Aria answered. Honestly, it didn't. She and Ezra were friends at the moment. Despite the growing feelings, that was how things were. Aria didn't feel like a giddy little schoolgirl. "It feels natural. Ezra and I are best friends."

"You could've fooled me with the death grip you had on his hand the other night."

"That's different, Spencer and you know it," she replied, taking a light pink blouse into her hands. The silk-like material felt good in between Aria's fingertips; it had always been one of her favorite shirts. It also served as a reminder than in a few months, she wouldn't be able to wear it anymore.

"How is it different?" Spencer had moved from Aria's blouses to her dresses. That would most likely take of majority of the time, seeing as she owned tons. First came a little black dress with a cut out in the back. It wasn't too hard to fold, at least for Spencer.

"Because I was nervous. Do you know how it feels to have to stand in front of your friends and say you're pregnant with your best friend's baby?"

"It wasn't so hard for you at the restaurant," Spencer remarked with a shrug. Aria was defenseless there. The words had easily spilled out of her mouth before she bolted, but emotions had been running high all night.

"Emotions were high," Aria said, putting the pink blouse into a box.

"Still, you didn't need to hold Ezra's hand like your very life depended on it. And you didn't need to look so infatuated with him."

"I didn't look infatuated with him," she gasped, putting down the floral patterned shirt that she had picked up.

"I don't think you see it, Aria," Spencer said. "You look at Ezra and it makes everyone else feel uncomfortable because I'm pretty sure that it makes you two feel like the only people in the room."

"I….," Aria began, trying to defend herself. Unfortunately, she came up short. Her heart did flutter in her chest when she looked at Ezra; tall, dark, and handsome Ezra. But Aria never paid much attention to the expressions on her face. That had been something she never did. Aria only cared about the emotions in her head.

"Exactly. Match point." Spencer smirked against and threw a dress into the box before something rumbled from the living room. Both girls scrambled up from the king sized bed to make sure nobody or anything had been damaged.

The sight that they were met with made Aria burst into hysterics and Spencer cover her mouth with her hand while giggles shook her shoulders. Hanna was mid-yell, clipboard in hand. Ezra was backed away against the wall with his hands up in a surrender sign, while Wren and Caleb stood right by the toppled over bookshelf.

"You have way too many books, Ar," Ezra said, his eyes still wide. "And you," he continued, turning to Hanna with an outstretched finger, "need to stop giving false alarms because then they turn into something real."

"Don't blame this on me," Hanna argued. "Blame Butterfingers over there." She pointed to Wren with her highlighter.

"Caleb shouted, which scared me," Wren complained. Caleb was left defenseless, except for the pout on his face.

"Enough of the blame game," Aria said, laughter still evident in her voice. "Just get it cleaned up soon. The van's going to be here in twenty minutes to bring it over to Ezra's."

Not wanting to have to be responsible with helping clean up the books, Aria and Spencer quickly retreated into her bedroom again, holding in their laughter until the door was shut safely behind them.

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><p>Moving had been absolute chaos; even more so than packing. But soon enough, Aria and Ezra were seated on the floor of his three bedroom apartment, couch pushed back with cartons of takeout in their laps. Ezra had a guest room, which was now Aria's and the study had been converted into a clear space for the baby. Although, if things went right, Aria's room could go to being the study and she'd take her place in his bedroom.<p>

"Well, that was fun," Ezra laughed. He brushed a hand through his dark hair and sighed. There were still a few boxes lying around, but for the most part, things were in their rightful place.

"Lots," Aria agreed with the nod of her head, although she was far more distracted with the Chinese noodles in the white box. Her chopsticks plucked then up into her mouth, ceasing the grumbles in her stomach. The baby had been insatiable all day, until now. "Although, the highlight was when you boys make the book case fall."

"We did not," Ezra said, putting down his box. He had been full for the past five minutes anyways.

"Did to," Aria giggled, moving closer to him.

"Did not," Ezra moved closer, his hands subconsciously grabbing Aria's waist.

Aria barely noticed how close they were to one another. Their petty and somewhat childish argument was putting all logic from her mind. What lingered was the feeling of being with Ezra. Ducking her head, their lips almost touched as Aria whispered "Did to."

Their eyes met and for once, Aria didn't shirk back. She was tired of pushing down feelings. One kiss; she could allow herself one kiss and leave it for the night to think about. Maybe in the morning she'd figure out what she wanted.

"Be with me, Aria," Ezra said, bringing her from her thoughts. His voice was soft and pleading. Aria's lips parted with a gasp, unsure of what to say. Being together, or being in a relationship had been a subject they were skirting around for ages. But here it was, smack dab in their faces.

"Be with you?" Aria decided to play it coyly. "I am with you, Ezra. I'm living with you."

"That's not what I meant. I mean, be mine." Their heartbeats were audible, completely filling up the silence of the apartment.

"I don't want to rush anything," Aria said, the fear of losing him resurfacing. Aria hadn't through much about it in the past few days; her main concern was telling him about the baby and dealing with everything that came along with that.

"How can we rush things now? We're living together and you're pregnant with my baby. I—I'm so in love with you, Aria." Ezra's voice faltered as tears built up in his eyes. "You know how I feel and I know you feel something too. I don't care how long it takes for you to feel the same as me, but if you want to, it's best to start now."

Aria did want to feel the way Ezra did about her. She was admitting it now. She wanted to be in love with him. She wanted him to be her crutch in the same way Caleb was for Hanna and Wren for Spencer. And it would take a long time, but Ezra had a point. Things were barely complicated at the moment and it was realistically the right time.

"If…if I say I want to be with you too, I want to take it slow. I'm…I'm not going to jump into your bed at the end of tonight. I'm not going to say _I love you_ when I'm not at that stage yet. As long as you're willing to wait and be patient with me."

Ezra's face spread into a smile and the pent up tears spilled over onto his cheeks. Aria giggled lightly and brushed them away with her fingertips. "Don't cry. I'm not worth crying over."

"You don't know your own worth, Aria Montgomery," Ezra laughed. "Or how happy you've made me."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," she chuckled, acknowledging his tears. "Unless you're crying out of sadness for the fact you're stuck with me."

"Never." He took her hand in his and pressed it against his tee shirt clothed chest. Aria could feel his heart being against his rib cage. "Do you want to put labels or anything…?"

"No," Aria said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but when I meant slow, I meant _slow._ I don't want to rush because we have so much at stake."

"I understand," Ezra with the nod of his head. "I wouldn't jump into anything you didn't want regardless."

"There is one thing I want."

"What's that?"

"This." Aria lightly pressed her lips against his in what was a sweet kiss. One of her hands placed itself on the back of his neck, feeling the soft skin and the baby hairs that were wispy feeling. Aria's other hand caressed Ezra's jaw line, making smooth circle motions.

Ezra's hands found their grip on her waist and held Aria tight against his chest. Their legs intertwined due to their seated position on the ground. But before it could get too heated, Aria pulled away and kissed Ezra's nose lightly.

"Why'd you stop," Ezra whined, pouting.

"We've got to be careful."

"In what way? You're already pregnant."

Aria laughed at his joke and rolled her eyes. She pushed her body away from his, but kept their fingers interlaced as they sat with their backs against his couch. "You know what I mean."

He groaned, but it mixed with a chuckle towards the end. Ezra couldn't believe his luck; Aria had been so resistant, but here she was eager to start on the road towards a relationship with him, regardless of what benefits that being together would provide for their baby.

Aria beamed at him before resting her head on his shoulder. Things felt right; maybe being in a relationship with him at some point was the right direction instead of only being friends. In her mind, things could only go up from this point.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Aria was about to agree with Ezra's offer, but her eyes caught the clock. It was getting late and they both had work in the morning; after putting off work and leaving someone else in charge, Aria was coming off her "medical leave" and going back.

"It's late," she said, getting up from the floor. "And we both have work in the morning. You need to be up early to get to the school."

"You're right," Ezra shrugged, pulling himself up as well. "So, we'll call it a night?"

"I think so," Aria complied, the smile still not leaving her face. Ezra's hadn't left either.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said, kissing Aria's forehead before retreating into his room. Aria followed in suit, but her mind was in an absolute daze. It wasn't until she closed her new bedroom door that she burst into a fit of excited giggles before collapsing on her bed.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry! I've gotten back tracked, but here's a new chapter! Here's the deal though; I need some baby names. Girl or boy, even though I know what they're having. Also, I need some info on pregnancies, but I guess I can always look it up. Extra help would be much appreciated!**

**Here's the girl names I was toying with:**

**Rosalie, Magnolia (but they'd call her Nola), Alice, or Ariella. Tell me what you think! And I need some boy names and girl suggestions!**

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><p>Life began to move almost fluidly after the debacle of her pregnancy was settled. Aria, now two months along, sat nervously in the waiting room of her gynecologist, twiddling away at her thumbs. Her first two appointments, Ezra had been present. But due to final exams, he couldn't afford to take a day, much less a few hours off.<p>

Their newfound relationship was another story within itself; one that she'd embark about thinking of later. Things were going perfectly; almost too perfect. Aria wanted those tiny imperfections that came along with dating, not what she had. They were moving slowly, per her request, but every so often, she hoped that Ezra would jump into his fast paced nature and push them along a bit. She wished for them to have a tiny blowout, not the same routine of a chaste kiss goodnight and heading off to their separate rooms.

Maybe the problem was that they were moving too slow. It hadn't occurred to Aria until now. Those imperfections had yet to occur because she and Ezra weren't learning about each other in ways that couples do because of the slow pace they were progressing.

It wasn't to say she was unhappy; Aria was over the moon. Dating Ezra had been the best decision she'd ever made. But possibly, they needed to pick up the pace. After all, in seven months, they'd be parents. A baby would be their troubles, not their relationship.

"Aria Montgomery?" Her head jolted out of its stupor as her name was called by a nurse standing all in white, a clipboard in hand as well. "Dr. Greene will see you now."

Her hair shook over her shoulder whilst giving the nurse a slight nod. As the two walked to her room, Aria bit her lip.

"No need to be nervous, Honey," the nurse commented. The slightly older woman placed a hand on Aria's shoulder.

"I just haven't done this alone."

"Where's your husband? I remember him; tall with dark hair and blue eyes. He's quite the keeper."

Aria blushed deeply and shook her head. "He's not my husband. Just my boyfriend. He's a teacher and their administering final exams. He couldn't be excused, but I told him I'd call as soon as it was over."

The nurse smiled warmly at Aria and led her inside the room to change and wait for Dr. Greene. Dr. Greene, or Bethany as she asked Aria and Ezra to call her, was a woman in her late fifties with graying roots that she always died a blonde to match the rest of her hair. Per Ezra's request, Aria switched from a male doctor to a female; it was the least she could do.

After changing quickly into the medical gown, Aria sat on the chair, her stomach doing flip flops that weren't apparent because of her morning sickness to wait for the woman. Most of her fears were that the baby wouldn't be healthy, although Aria, with Ezra's help and Spencer's, had been taking vitamins and keeping herself in top shape. But wasn't that every expecting mothers?

"Aria?" Bethany's smiling face peeked through the doorway before the door opened to reveal her full body.

"Hey, Beth," Aria said, brushing a hand through her hair. It was strange to be on such casual terms with a doctor, but those had been Bethany's orders.

"How's baby Fitz doing today?"

"I don't know," she chuckled. "You tell me."

"Oh, right." The blonde woman gave a small chortle with clucking her teeth; a habit she seemed to have. "Where's Ezra?"

"He had to give final exams today. It was cute to see him trying to negotiate with the principal on the phone. I swear the man's crazy."

"He'd do anything for you; I don't think you see the way he looks at you."

"I see it better than I used to," Aria replied, revealing nothing more. Bethany gave the usual directions to lie down and lift up her gown so she could smear the gel. Aria cringed slightly at the cold temperature, but grew used to it quickly.

"I think we'll be able to hear the baby's heartbeat today."

"Didn't we last week," Aria laughed, confusion laced within it.

"That was yours. Or Ezra's. I'm not sure because you both were equally nervous."

"Oh," she replied softly, closing her eyes. Bethany moved the wand around her slightly curved stomach until she found the tiny being that would grow into a baby. A strange pounding filled the room and enveloped Aria's ears. Her eyes sprung open, wet with tears.

"Is that…?"

"It is," smiled Bethany. Aria's tears dripped down over her cheeks until an idea struck.

"Wait, let me call Ezra. We can play it for him over the phone." Without any type of confirmation from Bethany, Aria picked up her touch screen phone tapping a few keys to put him on speaker.

A groan from the other end of the line signalled Ezra's irritation, although it wasn't for Aria's call; simply from the students who seeme to be incompetent of completing an exam on time. Half of the busy bodies in their seats fidgeted whilst writing down their collective thoughts on college ruled paper. Quietly, he got up from his seat and retreated to the back room where they stored books to be read over the course of the year.

"Hello," he asked quietly, not wanting to make too much of a rukus and completely throw the few dim minded students off task with bombards of questions.

"It's me," Aria said, still keeping her ears trained on the heartbeat pusling through the room.

"Aria," Ezra sighed, running a hand through his previously skillfully gelled back hair. He never put too much in, making it loose and fall back into it's curly tufts by the end of the school day. Aria preferred him that way anyways.

"Hey there," Aria giggled. "Listen to this, but you have to be quiet to able to hear it." Ezra's eyebrows furrowed, but soon enough he heard the same pounding through the speaker that Aria was listening to live. His whole heart went into shock; his baby's heartbeat. It all made things seem more real. In fact, Ezra had been waiting for the day to hear that revirbirating pulse. He let out a short laugh of joy before going completely silent.

"You still there," Aria asked worriedly, hoping he hadn't passed out. She shot Bethany a quick glance; the older woman only smiled.

From the other end, Ezra shook his head trying to gain a clear mind. "I...I am," he said, letting out a quick laugh. "That's our baby."

"It is," she replied, her grin growing even goofier. "That's our baby."

"I-I can't believe it." For a few more minutes, Aria let the heartbear play for him, wanting him to get the full effect. Ezra completely soaked it in. His child's heartbeat was one of a sweet melody or rhythm, at least to him. It thumped in a repeated, healthy pattern. He closed his eyes to listen and the line fell somehwat dead. It wasn't until a student knocked on the tiny glass window that Ezra pulled his fatherly attention away. "I've got to go, Ar," he said quickly. "Students."

Aria let out a laugh, understanding completely. "I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Okay. See you then." Ezra's lips were itching to let out an "I love you", but he kept himself from doing so. Not now, not yet. He opened the door to reveal a quizzical student.

"You okay there, Fitz," he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"I'm fine, Vincent," Ezra said, letting out another short laugh. Evidently, his giddiness wasn't going to subside for quite some time. Just as the student was about to press matters again, Ezra shook his head as if to say not to ask again. "I'm absolutely fine. There's nothing more to be said." But Ezra was more than fine; he felt like he would be floating on air.

* * *

><p>"I'm assuming he took it well," smiled Bethany as Aria shimmied back into her clothes behind a divider. Her clean, white sundress gathered a bit at her womb where the beginnings of a nub, soon to be a giant belly, was forming. She placed a hand over it and smiled fondly, already feeling more love for the unborn child inside of her.<p>

"If he could've broke into a jig, he would've." Aria slipped on her espadrilles and emerged with slightly tussled hair which she fixed easily with the brush of a hand. "But he would've made an ass out of himself in front the students and I'm sure they wouldn't let him live it down."

Bethany nodded in understanding while Aria stood, chewing on the corner of her lip. They'd still yet to tell their parents; the parents that would be coming into the city on July 4th, only a week away. She and Ezra had a habit of framing the ultrasound pictures as a developmental landmark for when their baby was born. No doubt there'd be questions. It wasn't as if Aria could pass it off as a piece of art work.

They did know she and Ezra were together and she'd moved in with him. Aria's mother, Ella, thought it was a bit silly, but didn't put up much of an argument. Bethany handed Aria the sonogram. The girl received it, her fingers brushing over the growing baby.

"Go home and show him," the doctor urged. "We'll schedule your next appointment over the phone."

* * *

><p>Waiting for her in the apartment was Spencer, studying the sonograms. Aria couldn't remember inviting her over; then again, they almost always showed up at each other's places unexpectedly. It was just, a cliché as it was to say, one of those things.<p>

"Hey," she chimed, placing her bag down on the counter. Aria moved with caution. What if Spencer had terrible news? What if something happened? She'd always been quite the worry wart.

The much taller brunette turned around with a smile on her face. Aria's whole body relaxed now knowing that there wasn't any tears or anger to follow her presence. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm not allowed to miss my best friend."

"You are," Aria said, fishing the sonogram from out of her purse. Spencer wasn't always too enthralled with the photos; for someone dating a doctor, the tiniest things made her squeamish. Still, it was her duty as best friend to look at the photos of Aria's impending infant.

"It looks like an alien."

"You sound like Ezra," Aria sighed, shoving it into a frame. Ezra would see later; he always looked at their photos, even if there was only a few.

"Great minds think alike," Spencer winked.

"So what's up?" Aria plopped onto the couch, slinging one leg over the other. She'd miss sitting in comfort when she blew up like a beached whale in a few months.

"Nothing," shrugged her friend. "I was lazing around today and felt compelled to see you. Check in on Mommy and Baby Fitz. It's been ages since we've talked with work and all and your doctor's appointments."

"We should have a girl's night," Aria commented. "All three of us before I get too big to really go anywhere." Her eyes searched around to the clock on the wall, noticing Ezra would be home soon. Even with final exams, he got out early.

"Where's Ez?"

"He should be coming home from work now."

"Oh." Spencer's mouth formed into a perfect 'O' shape before pursing her lips. "You know, I'll head out. I have to meet up with Wren anyways."

"You alright," Aria asked quickly.

"Yeah," Spencer smiled. "I don't want to intrude on Ezra time. We'll plan something tomorrow. Love you, Ar!"

Aria toiled around the apartment for the next several minutes after Spencer had left. She changed into a pair of tattered sweats to be more comfortable and hung up the tiny sonogram photo in its giant frame. The messy kitchen, unkempt from the morning was her next adventure, tidying things up and pouring out the old coffee grinds when Ezra walked in.

He immediately loosened his red tie from the day of exams and sighed, trying to locate Aria. He found her tiny figure in the kitchen and smiled at how domestic she looked. Ezra couldn't help but imagine what it would be like for her to be doing the tasks, but with a baby bouncing on her hip or resting in a high chair.

"Hey there," he grinned, causing her to jump. The tiny tune coming from Aria's lips ceased it's buzzing as she laughed from her being scared.

"You scared me," she giggled, walking over to him to peck his lips. It was such a small gesture, yet spoke volumes to the two of them. He placed a hand on the small of Aria's back while she hugged him, plastering her against his chest.

"Could've fooled me," Ezra joked, placing a hand against Aria's womb. "How's baby Fitz today," he asked, using the universal nickname that had been administered to their unborn child. "Their heart's beating well."

Aria smiled, remembering the previous events of that afternoon and took Ezra by the hand to show him that day's sonogram. The large frame encased several spots for photos, only a few had been taken up due to her early stage. "There she is," Aria grinned, pointing to the photo. "Healthy as a horse."

"She," Ezra asked with a laugh. "What makes you so sure it's a she?"

"I just know these things," Aria remarked, patting her stomach. "Isn't that right, Baby?"

Ezra chuckled and kissed the top of her hair. Her natural scent was still enticing to him, making Ezra want to whisk her away right then and there to his bedroom. But, he had to remember their boundaries, now fully enhanced by the pregnancy and their new relationship. Sometimes, he wondered if Aria would ever be ready to really take a plunge with them both.

"When they come out as a boy, you'll regret ever calling him a she." He pulled his arms from around her and sauntered to his bedroom, wanting to be out of his work clothes. Aria looked after Ezra with a longing expression, but ultimately rolled her eyes. _Men. _


End file.
